Reversing mechanism.



NITED STATES PATENT G FICE.

GEORGE VANDERGRIFT BLACKSTONE, OF JAMESTOIVN, NEV YORK.

REVERSING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,783, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed February 18, 1899. Serial No. 706,077. (No model.)

To (0Z7, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VANDERGRIFT BLACKSTONE, of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved gearing for washing and other machines which is simple and durable in construction and requiring but little power to operate the machine.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the gearing for the washing-machine, the section being on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the improvement on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the reversing locking device on the dasher-shaft. Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of the same on the line 5 5 in Fig. l, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the gear-wheels with parts broken away.

The invention is shown applied to a washing-machine which is provided with a suitable box A, in which is mounted to revolve a dasher B, mounted to slide on and to turn with a dasher'shaft C, journaled in suitable bearings arranged in a bracket D, bolted or otherwise secured to the cover or lid E of the box A.

On the dashershaft 0, above the lid E, is arranged a locking device F, having a member F secured to the dasher-shaft O and a member F fitted to slide vertically in the fixed member F. The movable member F is provided for this purpose with a vertical elongated slot F through which extends a bolt F secured in the sides of the fixed member F, which is preferably fork-shaped, as indicated in Fig. 4, for the movable member F to slide in the forked piece. The movable member F is provided above and below the slot F with transverse bores containing spiral springs G, pressing with their ends against the inner surface of the forked arms of the fixed member F, as is plainly shown in Fig. 4, so as to hold the movable member F by the springs in either an up or down position, the springs permitting, however, a free upand down-sliding movement of the movable member in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

The lower and upper ends of the movable member F are formed with cam-lugs F F, adapted to engage recesses H H respectively, formed in the bevel gear-wheels H 11, mounted to rotate loosely on the shaft Obelow and above the locking device F, as is plainlyindicated in Figs. 1 and 2. The bevel gear-wheels H H are in mesh with opposite sides of a bevel-pinion I, secured on a shaft J, mounted to rotate in bearings on the bracket D, and on the outer end of the shaft J is secured a wheel K, having a handle K for turning the wheel K and the shaft J to rotate the bevel-pinion I, which in turn rotates the gearwheels H H in opposite directions.

On the inner face of the pinion I is secured or formed a cam 1, adapted to alternately engage the cam-lugs F and F on the locking member F to slide the latter either up ordown to bring the said lugs in orout of mesh with the gear-wheels H 11, so that when the movable member F is by its lug F in mesh with the bevel gear-wheel II then the rotary motion of the gear-wheel H is transmitted by the locking device to the dasher-shaft O to rotate the dasher l5 inone direction; but when the movable member F is shifted upward and the lug F is moved out of mesh with the gearwheel H and its lug F is moved in mesh with the gear-wheel 11 then the rotary motion of the latter is transmitted by the locking device F to the shaft 0 and the dasher B, but in an inverse direction to that previously given to the geanwheel II and clutch F.

It is evident from the foregoing that when the shaft J is rotated in one direction the shaft C and the dasher B are alternately revolved in opposite directions, the gearing being so proportioned that it requires one and one-half revolutions of the pinion I to give one full turn to the gear-wheels H and H, and consequently after every one and a half turn site position to that which it had upon the previous shifting of the movable member of the locking device, and as the wheels H H now have each made a full revolution the corresponding recesses H H are directly or nearly opposite each other and the shifting of the movable member can take place to move one of the lugs F or F out of mesh with the corresponding recess and in mesh with the recess in the other wheel H or H.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, is not liable to get out of order, and requires butlittle power to run the same to wash the clothes properly by the action of the dasher B revolving alternately in opposite directions.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A reversing mechanism provided with a gearing comprising a driving-pinion, a cam moving with said pinion, gear-wheels in mesh with said pinion at opposite sides thereof and a locking device on the shaft to be driven and having a fixed member secured to the shaft and a locking member fitted to slide in the fixed member and adapted to be engaged by said cam to throw the locking member alternately into engagement with said gear-wheels, substantially as shown and described.

2. A reversing mechanism, provided with a gearing, comprising a driven beveled pinion, a cam moving with the pinion, bevel gearwheels in mesh with said bevel-pinion at opposite sides thereof, a driven shaft on which said bevel gear-Wheels are mounted to rotate loosely, a locking device having a fixed member secured on said driven shaft between the gear-wheels, and a movable member adapted to be engaged by said cam and moved alternatel y in and out of mesh with said gearwheels, substantially as shown and described.

3. Alockingdevicecomprisingafixedmemher, a movable member mounted to slide on said fixed member, and springs held in said movable member and pressing against the fixed member, to hold the movable member temporarily in position, and to allow of shifting the movable member, substantially as shown and described.

at. Alockingdevicecomprisingafixedmemher having a forked side, a movable member having an elongated slot and fitted to slide in said fork of the fixed member, a bolt carried by the fixed member and extending through said elongated slot, and springs held in said movable member and pressing with their ends against the side arms of the fork, substantially as shown and described.

5. A reversing mechanism comprisingapinion, means for turning the same, a cam on the inner face of the pinion, gear-wheels in mesh with said pinion at opposite sides thereof, a driven shaft on which said gear-wheels are loosely mounted, and a locking device having a fixed member securedon said driven shaft between the gear-wheels, and a movable member fitted to slide vertically, the said movable member being provided at its upper and lower ends with cam-lugs adapted to engage re oesses formed in the said gear-wheels, the said cam n the pinion engaging the said cam-lugs to Slit the movable member of the locking device either up or down tomove the lugs alternately in and out of the recessses in the said gear-wheels, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE VANDERGRIFT BLACKSTONE.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN P. MOYNIHAN, ANDREW J. LIND. 

